Staande, zittende en leunende mannen c. 1890

Curator: This is "Staande, zittende en leunende mannen," or "Standing, Sitting, and Leaning Men," a drawing made around 1890 by Carel Adolph Lion Cachet, housed here at the Rijksmuseum. The artwork employs ink and frottage on paper, enhanced with watercolor. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: There's a raw, immediate quality to it. The starkness of the ink against the paper creates a sense of detachment, almost as if the figures are floating. It’s quite haunting, this minimalist rendering of the male form. Curator: Absolutely. Considering Cachet’s involvement in decorative arts, his use of frottage in what seems like a preliminary sketch tells an intriguing story about artistic labour and resourcefulness. Frottage as a technique links "high art" with readily available materials. Editor: The composition is striking, too. Notice how the bodies are arranged; their lines barely touch and barely intersect. It's less about representing individual likeness, and more about the geometry inherent within the forms, perhaps bordering abstraction. Look at the economical brushstrokes to construct a body; pure formal ingenuity. Curator: I think context is also very relevant here. Cachet lived in a period of societal change where ideas about masculinity were being reshaped by industrialization and colonialism, the drawing's emphasis on the everyday perhaps reflects shifts in those paradigms of what was to be expected of men. Editor: That's a pertinent consideration. Yet, focusing just on the visual components—the light and shadow interplay created by ink washes—reveals much too. The restricted colour palette focuses attention onto the contour; an exercise in pure formalism that precedes any cultural commentary. Curator: Still, one can consider the cultural value imbued in the work through its association with fine materials and techniques such as the ink and frottage used; Cachet engages with craft traditions and elevates them through artistic innovation. This resonates deeply within the cultural conversation. Editor: Indeed. Though for me, the intrinsic beauty resides in its balanced structure and deliberate line placement, independent of time. Curator: Well, each offers its own valuable insights, doesn’t it? Thanks for walking me through that one! Editor: My pleasure.